Horn-gap switch



April 13, 1926.

H. J. CRA'BBS E r AL HQRN GAP SWITCH Filed June 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Herber/Jhls ATTORNEY Apr-i1 13, 192s. l 1,580,415

H. J. CRABBS ET' AL HORN GAP SWITCH Filed June 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. i3, 1826.

di* t i mnu:

HERBERT J. CRABBS, OF PITTSBURGH, AND ANDERE-V H, BAKKEN, GF EDGEWOOD PARK, PENNSYLVANA ASSIGNOBS T ,EYESTING'HUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, A CORPORATEON 0F PENNSYLVANXA.

trojan-esi? Swinton.

Application led June 5, 1922'. Serial No. 566,030.

To all who/nt t may concern:

Be it known that We, llnnnnnr J. Cnr-inns, a citizen of the United States, and a: resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of lf)ennsylvania, and ANDREW H. Banners, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Edgewood Fark, in the county yof Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a nen7 and useful improvement in Horn-Gap ySwitches, of which the following is a specification. f

Qur invention relates to horn gap switches and to an improved form of horn for employment in connection therewith.

Our invention has for one of its objects the provision of an arc horn of simple construction, wherein the deflection set up therein during the opening and closing of 'the switch with which such horn is associated is distributed throughout substantially the entire length of the horn.'

Another object of our invention is to simplify and improve generallyA the construe tion of disconnecting switches and arc horns.

As shown in the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a vieiv, in side elevation, of a portion of a high-tension disconnecting switch embodying our invention,

Figs. 2 and 3 are plan and side elevational views, respectively, of one of the arc horns which We employ, and.

Fig. 4i is a view, partially in section, of a portion of the horn shown in Figs. 2 landB.

The switch comprises stationary contact members 5 and 6 that are mounted upon fixed insulating vpillars 7 and 8, respectively. and a bridging member 9 that is mounted upon a rotatable insulating pillar 10. The rotatable pillar 10 may be operated from a remote pointthrough a. crank y11 by means of suitable levers, not shown.

y Stationary arcing horns 13 and 1'1- are rigidly supported by brackets 15 and 18 respectively, that have electrical connection With the terminal members 5 `and G `and are supported by the pillars 7 and 8, as is common in devices of this character.

A main, or intermediate, arc horn 18 of yielding material is supported by the bride*- ing member 9 and co-o aerates With tne areing horns 13 and lei to draw the arcs therefrom, in somewhat the usual manner, upon the breaking of the engagement between the bridging member 9 and the contact members 5 and 6.

The arc horn 18 is of yielding material and, before being mounted on the bridging member 9, is of the shape illustrated more clearly in Fig. 2, that is, the ends 19 and 2O thereof are disposed in opposite angular relations. ip to the main portion of the horn 18 and are provided with down-turned portions 21 and 22 respectively. Fach of the portions 19-21 and 20--22 has a rod 2li of spring steel or similar lmaterial disposed therein for substantially the distance indicated in Fig. 4, in order to strengthen the horn.

lt will be appa-rent that when the extended portions 19 and 2O are moved into substantial alinement so 'that the projections 21v and may be inserted into bearings 25 and 26, respectively, that are carried `by the brit g ing member 9, the horn, throughout substantially its entire length, and particularly at the points thereof nearest to the horns 13 and 14, will be placed under torsional stress and distorted so that the portions 28 and 29 thereof Will be defiected from the aligned positions thereof shown in Fig. 2. Because of this distortion, the portions 28 and 29 Will be biased or deflected in the. direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2.

The bearings 25 and 26 are preferably mounted at opposite sides of the bridging member 9, as a matter of convenience, but may, if desired, be placed in alinement longitudinally of the bridging member. The portions 28 and 29 of the horn 18, being normally biased to angularly disposed positions when assembling the device, as above eX- plained, it Will be apparent that, as the bridging member 9 is moved to carry it out of engagement with the stationary Contact members 5 and 6, the portions 28 and 29 of the horn 18 will remain in engagement with the horns 13 and 14 until after the bridging member has been completely disengaged from the said contact members and that any arc drawn will form across the horns 18, 18 and 141.

Furthermore, it Will be observed that upon the drawing of arcs current will not iiow through the bearings 25 and 26 but will pass along the main portion of the horn 18, and that the arcs will rise along the horns until engaging portions that normally liein aV they are extinguished and broken down in the usual manner.

, Stop members 31 and 32 are provided on the bridging member 9 for limiting the amount of deflection which may occur in the arc horn 18 when the bridging member 9 has Vbeen moved to completely open position.

We claim as our invention:

1. A yielding arc horn provided with two common plane and with two yielding` extensions normally angularly disposed with re spect'to the engaging portions, and means for su u ortin` and inaintaininY the said ex,

.b .b tendec portions in substantial alinement with the plane normally occupied by the saidV engaging portions, Vtocause such portions to be deflected from the said pla-ne. Y

2. A yielding arc horn provided withtwo engaging portions normally in substantial alinement and with two yielding extensions angularly disposed in opposite directions with respect to the engaging portions, and means Yfor supporting and maintaining the said extended portions in substantial alinement with the plane normally occupied by the said engaging portions, to cause such portions to be deflected from the said plane, in opposite directions.

3. rlhe combination iny a switch having a pair of spaced Contact members and a Vbridging switch member, of an arc horn oneachcontact member and a one-piece flexible arc horn for engaging the said arc horns having its ends so pivotally connected to the tions for engagingtlie saidr arc horns and y having its ends so connected tothe switch member that the engaging portions are biased toward and yieldingly engage the are horns prior to closing movement of the switch member and maintain engagement until the switch member has been moved out of ,engagementl with the said contact member. t

5. rillhe combination in a switch having` a pair of spaced contact members anda bridging switch member, of an arc hornon `each contact Vmember and an intermediate arc horn comprising a relatively long eX- ible conductor constituting a loep having portions for engaging the Vsaid arc horns and having its ends so connectedl to the switch member that torsional stresses. distort the conductor and bias the engaging portions toward the said arc horns.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 9th day offMay,

HERBERT J.` CRABBSQ ANDREW H. BAKKEN. 

